Open Gate: An Anthology of Haitian Creole Poetry

Open Gate: An Anthology of Haitian Creole Poetry is an excellent introduction to poetry in the Haitian language. While a more careful editing with translations would have been helpful on certain poems, the reader is introduced to a variety of Haitian poetry of different times and schools of thought. The editors, Paul Laraque and Jack Hirschman, emphasize militant poetry (mostly from the 1960s to the present) of a nationalist outlook, one that is rooted in Haitian popular culture, folklore, tradition, patriotism, and history. Some selections, such as "Konbit" by Hilario Batista Felix, a Cuban poet of Haitian origin, obviously draw from rural and "traditional" pastimes as inspiration and hope for a brighter future of Haiti (brighter in terms of social equality, justice, democracy, liberation, an end to Duvalierism, etc.).

The better poems in the collection tend to come from Felix Morriseau-Leroy, a single poem from Philoctete ("M'Chouke" which explains why he stays in Haiti despite it all), a selection from Dezafi, and some poems from Jan Mapou. The fact that numerous poets represented in this anthology were members of the Sosyete Koukouy is also of note, particularly in how it connects poets of the Haitian Diaspora. On that note, I had the pleasure of meeting Jan Mapou in Miami and did not even realize he had played such an important role in Haitian Creole literature and keeping it alive here in the United States.

Unfortunately, this anthology could have benefitted from older, historical writings, such as songs. I would have liked to see older Creole poetry from the 1700s and 1800s, specifically, "Lisette," Durand's "Choucoune," Sylvain's "Cric Crac," Coicou, Vodou songs, proverbs and folk music. To better appreciate the inventiveness of the language, its ability to express just like any other language, the addition of material from the aforementioned sources would have been appreciated.